The $100 Grand Canyon Fee for International Visitors
(and How to Skip It)

If you're visiting from outside the U.S., there's a new charge to know about before you book a Grand Canyon trip. Since January 1, 2026, the U.S. Government charges non-U.S. residents $100 per person to enter Grand Canyon National Park. It applies to anyone 16 and older. Kids 15 and under are free.

The fee only kicks in when you set foot in the national park on the ground, and that includes commercial tours that stop inside it. When it applies, you pay it on the day of your tour, on top of the tour price.

Plenty of Grand Canyon tours from Las Vegas never enter the national park at all. Some go to the West Rim, which is tribal land, and some fly over the canyon without landing. None of those pay the fee. Below is exactly which tours skip it and which don't.

1. Where the fee does NOT apply

The fee is tied to one specific thing: entering Grand Canyon National Park on the ground. A lot of the best canyon experiences happen outside that boundary.

The West Rim. Grand Canyon West sits on Hualapai tribal land, not inside the national park. Its admission is included in the tour price, and the $100 government fee doesn't apply there. The West Rim is also where you'll find the Skywalk, the glass bridge that hangs out over the canyon.

Air-only tours. If your tour flies over the canyon and doesn't land inside the national park, there's no ground entry and no fee.

These nearby spots aren't affected either:

  • Hoover Dam — not part of the national park
  • Red Rock Canyon — not part of the national park
  • Valley of Fire — not part of the national park
  • Antelope Canyon — Navajo tribal land, not the national park

2. Tours that skip the fee entirely

These are the tours we run that don't trigger the $100 fee.

West Rim tours

The West Rim is the most popular fee-free option. It's closer to Las Vegas than the South Rim, it's home to the Skywalk, and the admission is already in the tour price with nothing collected on the day. You can get there by bus, and some helicopter and combo tours take you down to the canyon floor.

Browse fee-free West Rim tours from Las Vegas

Air-only tours

An air-only tour flies over the canyon and returns to Las Vegas without landing in the national park. No ground entry means no fee. It's also the quickest way to see the canyon if you're short on time.

See air-only Grand Canyon flights that avoid the fee

Grand Canyon North Rim Airplane & Ground Tour

Our Grand Canyon North Rim Airplane & Ground Tour flies you out to Bar 10 Ranch, which is on private land. From there the route runs through Whitmore Canyon and the Lake Mead Recreation Area, and it never passes a national park entrance station. So even though you spend real time on the ground with canyon views, the $100 fee doesn't apply.

Explore the North Rim Airplane & Ground Tour

3. Tours where the fee applies

Some of our tours go into Grand Canyon National Park on the ground, and on those, non-U.S. residents 16 and up pay the $100. These are still some of the best tours we offer, and the South Rim is the classic Grand Canyon view. You'll just want to budget for the fee ahead of time.

The fee applies on these tours, because they enter the national park on the ground:

  • All South Rim tours with a ground component, including bus tours
  • Hummer tours — Signature and Signature Sunset
  • Airplane and Hummer combinations — Rim to Sky and Deluxe
  • The Super Deluxe Airplane & Helicopter tour, which includes time at Grand Canyon Village and Mather Point
  • The South & North Rim Helicopter with Hummer

A few things to know for these tours:

  • The fee is collected on the day of your tour, not when you book.
  • Children 15 and under are free, so it only applies to travelers 16 and older.
  • If you hold the $250 non-resident "America the Beautiful" annual pass, you're exempt. The pass covers the holder plus up to three additional adults. We don't sell it, but bring it if you have one.

See all South Rim tours and plan for the park fee

4. Frequently asked questions

Does the $100 fee apply at the Grand Canyon West Rim?

No. The West Rim sits on Hualapai tribal land, not inside Grand Canyon National Park. Its admission is included in your tour price, and the $100 government fee doesn't apply there.

Do children have to pay the fee?

No. Children 15 and under are free. The fee applies only to non-U.S. residents ages 16 and older.

Does the $250 annual pass cover my whole family?

The $250 non-resident "America the Beautiful" annual pass covers the holder plus up to three additional adults. Canyon Tours doesn't sell it, so you'd need to arrange one yourself, but if you already have it, bring it on tour day.

Do flyover (air-only) tours count?

No. Air-only tours fly over the Grand Canyon without landing inside the national park. With no ground entry, there's no $100 fee.

Which tours avoid the fee completely?

West Rim tours, air-only flyover tours, and our Grand Canyon North Rim Airplane & Ground Tour all avoid the fee, because none of them enter Grand Canyon National Park on the ground.

When and how is the fee collected?

On tours that enter the national park, the fee is collected on the day of your tour, separately from the tour price.

Does the fee apply anywhere else besides the Grand Canyon?

Yes. The same $100 non-resident fee applies at ten other top U.S. national parks, including Zion and Bryce Canyon. It's a government fee for entering those parks, not something a tour company adds.